New York State

Policy

Will New York halt for 5G health concerns?

New York is supposedly in a race with other localities to deploy next-generation 5G wireless networks, but activists raising concerns about potential health effects of cellphone and wireless radiation – and they are gaining some political traction.

New York City

Policy

Brooklyn rising as tech destination

A new report reveals that Brooklyn has been second only to San Francisco in the growth of startups in the past decade.

New York City

Policy

New York isn’t letting up on ride-hail

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan for the Taxi and Limousine Commission to make permanent the cap on for-hire vehicle licenses and institute a limit on the time app-based companies like Uber and Lyft can allow their vehicles to cruise without passengers in the core of Manhattan.

Policy

Everyone supports climate change legislation, so why can’t it pass?

Even though Governor Andrew Cuomo says he wants to pass a bill to mitigate climate change, and even though both chambers of the Legislature appear to have majority support for the Climate and Community Protection Act, the bill may not pass in this session.

New York City

Policy

Accident puts helicopter safety under microscope

New York lawmakers are calling for a ban on all non-essential helicopters over Manhattan in the wake of this week’s accident.

New York City

Policy

Lawmakers strike sweeping deal on rent regulations

New York state lawmaker announced a sweeping deal on rent regulations that strengthen tenant protections in New York City and neighboring areas, make the laws permanent and expand them upstate.

New York City

Policy

What’s pushing prevailing wage into the 'Big Ugly'

Three ways lawmakers are trying to bridge their differences on a proposed expansion of the prevailing wage.

New York City

Policy

New York’s burgeoning array of tech training programs

New York City’s range of technology education offerings has expanded to keep pace with the city’s growing tech sector.

Immigration

Policy

How driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants would work

The Assembly is expected to vote this week on one of the most controversial legislative issues of the year – a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

New York City

Policy

E-bike crackdown gets renewed scrutiny

Critics argue that the NYPD is seizing e-bikes and serving fines to delivery cyclists, who are often low-income immigrants.

New York State

Policy

New York Privacy Act draws industry disapproval

The state Senate passed state Senator Kevin Thomas' SHIELD Act, a long-stalled bill that would expand reporting requirements of data breaches and strengthen cybersecurity regulations for businesses.

New York State

Policy

What we know about rural broadband access

Senator Chuck Schumer is criticizing the Federal Communications Commission for relying on internet providers to self-report their service speeds, which critics say affords companies to opportunity to lie, claiming to provide better service than they actually do.

New York State

Policy

Cuomo has delivered for MWBEs. Lawmakers want to go further.

The state Legislature is finalizing a legislative package on state contracting for minority and women-owned businesses.

New York State

Policy

A bill to halt facial recognition tech in schools

Since Lockport City School District officials announced plans to test a facial recognition system in its schools last week, civil rights advocates have been raising alarms about the technology’s privacy and security risks.

Real Estate

Policy

Can New York rein in big real estate?

As rent regulations come up for renewal, tenant advocates and their progressive allies in Albany are pushing for extensive reforms – and real estate is on the defensive for the first time in years.

New York State

Policy

The internal rift over rent regulations

Democratic lawmakers agree they are racing against time to renew New York state rent laws before they expire on June 15. If it doesn’t happen before then, rent regulations could wind up in the “Big Ugly” – and the risk is growing by the day.

New York City

Policy

Airbnb’s New York City legal battles

How much data Airbnb and its peers will be made to share is still up in the air, but there are a few key legal battles to watch as New York attempts to find that answer. City & State broke down the primary conflicts over data sharing that exist between the city and Airbnb and the arguments on each side.

New York State

Policy

School facial recognition gets pushback from state

Not long after New York’s Lockport City School District announced plans to begin testing its facial recognition system on students and faculty next week, the New York State Education Department released a statement calling on the school district to delay its implementation on students.

New York State

Policy

Why civil rights advocates say decriminalization of marijuana isn’t enough

Some opponents of marijuana legalization argue that the concerns of criminal justice reform advocates would be resolved by decriminalization, but the civil rights community disagrees, arguing enforcement would still disproportionately affect minority communities.

New York City

Policy

The subway’s new contactless payment system begins slow rollout Friday

The OMNY system – short for “One Metro New York” – will allow riders to hold a phone or contactless card up to an electronic reader to pay with the help of a technology called “near-field communication,” rather than swiping a MetroCard. The One Metro New York system will allow riders use a phone or contactless card, rather than swipe a MetroCard.